


Listen And Comply

by GoofyGoldenGirl



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Hydra, SHIELD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoofyGoldenGirl/pseuds/GoofyGoldenGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fanfic is a rewrite of a previous one of mine called The Boy In The Corridor</p>
    </blockquote>





	Listen And Comply

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is a rewrite of a previous one of mine called The Boy In The Corridor

Ward said nothing when Garrett told him that he would be working at a research facility.

It did not occur to him to ask why or what his job would be. He did not object when he was roused out of bed at three o clock in the morning and told to pack. He did not point out that he would be missing classes at SHIELD academy and that he already missed enough that he had to take an extra semester.

He stood beside Garrett as he was introduced to the commander of the security team. He was half listening, in a daze due to lack of sleep.

"This is the kid I was talking about," Garrett gave Ward a slight push forward. "He's good. Loyal. Knows how to follow orders."

Then a uniform was shoved into his hands and Ward was directed to sub level B. He was to stand guard in a corridor, not too far from the door that led to the back entrance of the lab. He was told that not many people used this side of the floor to enter the lab, but he was to check for IDs in case anyone came along. There was only one guard per shift and each shift lasted for three hours. He thought it was strange how it was all set up, but did not question it.

Ward quickly got into the routine. One three hour shift from nine in the morning to twelve, another from three in the afternoon to six, five days a week. Six hours of silence. Six hours of pacing back and forth, leaning against the wall, and staring blankly into space. It was tedious, but Ward did his duty. He swore at times he could hear noises coming from the lab; a high pitched sound, almost like a scream. He figured he was hearing things. Perhaps he was getting too bored.

Four months had passed. It was Wednesday and he was on the second shift. He had about two hours left until he could leave. But he knew he wouldn't rest; Garrett made sure that he got four hours of training after work. It did not matter if Ward was tired or wanted to be left alone. By the end, Ward was so exhausted that he crashed only to wake up at five in the morning to do more training that lasted for three hours. He would then rush to get ready for work. It was a miracle that he had not been late so far. 

Ward examined the parts of his gun. Two more hours. Only two more hours. Maybe Garrett would end training early today, or cancel it altogether. He felt like drifting off, but knew that he could not afford to fall asleep during a watch. He gripped his gun tighter, blinking as he looked it over for the thousandth time. If only he got a little more sleep, he would….

There were light footsteps coming from the end of the hallway.

Ward turned around to see a boy standing a few feet away. He looked around eleven or twelve, dressed in a long sleeved, gray shirt with matching sweatpants, that were a couple of sizes too big. His skin was pale, the kind of pale that was a deathly white color. His hair was a whitish-blond, and his eyes were a piercing bright blue.

"Hey!" Ward called out. "Are you lost?"

The boy moved back, startled.

"It's ok! It's ok!" Ward tried to assure him. "You're not in trouble! Everyone gets lost around here!"

Ward knew his voice was too intimidating. It came out loud like a shout and echoed off the walls. The boy froze.

Ward took a step forward and crouched down. He blinked once and looked at the boy directly in the eye.

"What's your name? I'm Ward," he said softly.

The boy did not look at him.

"Did you lose your mom or dad?" Ward asked.

The boy did not answer. He tried to take a step back.

The walkie talkie on Ward's belt began to buzz. Ward picked it up, not taking his eyes off the boy.

"Ward---Wa--" It made a shrill beeping sound and then went quiet. Ward gave it a confused glance and then focused back on the boy.

"Do you want me to take you to the help desk?" Ward reached out and put his hand on the boy's arm. The child flinched and jolted back.

The arm felt swollen and tense, like it was broken. 

"Are you ok?" Ward moved closer. "Your arm feels like it's broken."

The boy slid away with an almost terrified glance. He cradled his arm, his breaths coming out in short gasps. 

"It's ok! It's ok! I won't touch you! But we should go to first aid so they can check your arm out!" Ward said.

The boy was staring off at the other end of the corridor. Ward looked behind his shoulder to see a girl on the other end. She looked around the same age, in a similar gray outfit like the boy's. Her long hair fell in reddish brown waves and her eyes were just as unusually blue as his'.

Whatever words Ward was going to say were gone. He stared, almost in a trance, as he watched the girl walk up to the boy. The two nervously glanced around and then grabbed hands.

Then the boy began to run.

It was like Ward was looking at a flash of lightening. The two children took off so fast that it seemed as if they had disappeared into nothingness. In less than a second they had reached the stairwell and continued up. Ward blinked, trying to make out what he saw. Impossible. He had never seen anyone run that fast in his life.

The alarms went off. The hallway was filled with bright orange light as ear piercing screeches bounced off the walls. Ward covered his ears, fearing that he had burst his eardrums. Then his walkie talkie buzzed again.

"Ward!"

It was the commander.

"Yes sir?"

"I've been trying to reach you! Haven't you heard the alarms?"

"They came on just now sir," Ward told him.

"They've been going off for the last _five_ minutes!" The man exclaimed, half anxious, half angry. "There's been a breakout! Report to headquarters now!"

Ward and nine other agents got their orders. They were to apprehend subjects 2161 and 2162 and take them into custody. They were told that the subjects would be identified by their identification numbers on their clothing and that they were dangerous. The agents were divided into two groups of five. Ward's team did a sweep of sub level A. No persons with the numbers 2161 and 2162 were found.

They moved to the first floor. They marched down the hall, ignoring the people who were poking their heads out of their office doors. Then one of the agents shouted:

"There!"

The numbers 2161 and 2162 were sewn in big white letters on the back of gray clothing. The two children that Ward had seen earlier turned around. They backed up, clinging to each other, with the most terrified expressions Ward had ever seen.

"Don't shoot us!" The boy's came out as a scream.

Ward's heart began to race. The gun which earlier he had gripped so tightly, nearly fell to the floor. He glanced around, trying to figure out what the others were doing. Many of them held position, guns pointed at the children. Ward held up his walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"Sir," his voice said quietly. "They're just kids."

"You are to seize them and take them into custody," the commander repeated his orders.

"They're scared," Ward said.

"Do not let that fool you. They are _dangerous_ Do anything to get them back to the lab but do not kill them."

The children were crying. Tears were streaming down their faces as their sobs came out in shrill screams. It was loud enough to draw attention of the people hiding in their offices.

"Stay inside!" Ward heard one of his fellow agents yell at a woman who started to walk out.

"You'll have to come with us," another told the two kids.

"No!" The girl howled. "Please! You can't send us back! We can't go back! Please!"

"They'll hurt us again," the boy whispered shakily. "They're going to hurt us. They're going to hurt us."

"We'll do anything!"

Ward moved forward towards them.

"Ward! What are you doing?" He heard the commander's voice over the walkie talkie.

He crouched down in front of them.

"You say you were hurt?" He asked.

But before either child could answer, a voice came from the end of the hall:

"My little _mouselings._ "

It was the director of the lab, Daniel Whitehall. He had arrived with his own private security. The man, who appeared to be about in his forties, tall, wearing a long white coat, headed towards Ward and the kids. Ward got up and took a step back to let him through. The two children fell silent. They grabbed hands.

"Were you playing hide and seek?" Doctor Whitehall asked in a sugary yet sinister tone. He towered over them. "You know you aren't supposed to play games. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"We want to get away," the girl said in a moment of strength. The two were squeezing the other's hand so hard that they were turning red.

Doctor Whitehall glared at the children through his glasses. Ward felt chills go down his spine as if the doctor had sent that same glare to him.

"You have been very, very naughty children," the doctor's tone was becoming harsher and harsher with each word. "You do not know how _angry_ I am with you. I want you to come with me."

The two children stood rooted in their spot. 

"I want you to _listen_ to me," Doctor Whitehall started, saying each word very slowly. "I want you to take a deep breath and _listen_ to every single word that I am saying."

Ward noticed that the two kids still did not move, but something had changed. They no longer looked terrified. 

"You are to do exactly as I say. I want you to _stop._ I want you to _stop._ "

The children had blank looks across their faces. Their eyes were wide, and mouths hung slightly open. Their hands began to twitch. Ward felt uneasy even though he did not know why. 

"I want you to comply. You _will_ comply. Now _comply_ "

The girl and the boy looked straight into Doctor Whitehall's eyes. The girl blinked. The boy moved his shoulders back. Their eyes narrowed. 

**"No."** They both growled in unison.

It was then that they let go of the other's hand and tried to escape. The doctor turned and reached for the girl. He grabbed her from the back of her shirt. With the other hand he seized the boy by his injured arm. The boy let out a yelp.

"You rotten little _beasts!_ " The doctor exclaimed along with something in a language Ward did not know. He shoved the children at two guards from his own team. The kids were resisting the best they could: kicking, hitting, screaming. They were separated and dragged out. Doctor Whitehall followed them.

Ward began to run after the group. One of the fellow agents put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't," he told Ward. "It's for your own good."

Ward returned to his post, visibly shaken. It reminded him of a period in his life that he did not want to revisit. He tried to calm down. The hours passed slowly until he had to leave.

Garrett was waiting for him at the apartment.

"What did you do?" Garrett asked angrily.

"What did I do?" Ward was confused.

Garrett's hand slapped him across the cheek. Ward flinched.

"Why did you not listen to your commander?" Garett's voice was calm but each word stung like the pain from the slap.

"I can't hurt kids," Ward breathed, cradling his cheek.

"When you are out in the line of duty, you will not question what you are told," Garrett said. "It does not matter if your target is a man, a woman, or a child. Soldier or civilian. You do your _duty_ "

"But--"

He was hit across the face again. Ward winced, but managed to look Garrett in the eye.

"Do you understand _what_ I'm saying?" Garrett had grabbed the front of Ward's shirt and glared at him. "Why I can't have you acting on your gut?"

Ward blinked. His expression was vacant. His pupils dilated. He opened his mouth.

"Yes sir," he said weakly.

Garrett let him go.

"Good. It's time to train."

Garrett walked off. Ward paused for a second, but just for a second. Then, he followed.


End file.
